The Colin McEnroe Show

What makes something tacky? This hour, a celebration of all things tacky. Plus, a look at why reality TV is sometimes tacky and at the tackiest home décor. GUESTS: Rax King: Author of Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer and co-host of the podcast Low Culture Boil Jacques Lamarre: A playwright and the director of client services at Buzz Engine Brian Moylan: A writer and reality TV show recapper and the author of The Housewives: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewives Cat Pastor: Assistant radio operations manager at Connecticut Public Peter York: A journalist and the author of Dictator Style: Lifestyles of the World’s Most Colorful Despots The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired February 23, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose got the walls wet and on fire. We present here a podcast-only segment on I Am Groot, Marvel’s new Disney+ series of shorts (each episode is three minutes long plus credits and logos) following the adventures of Baby Groot during the period between Guardians of the Galaxy and a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 mid-credits sequence. (I’m not making this up, I swear.) I’d explain why we’re doing this special segment, but the reason is very, very dumb. Also, Colin explains it during the segment. Not that it’ll really make sense once he does. GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week’s Nose got the walls wet and on fire. The producers of an upcoming biopic about Fidel Castro’s exiled daughter, Alina of Cuba, reportedly did extensive heraldry and skull-shape analysis and somehow came to the conclusion that … James Franco should play Castro. The internet doesn’t think that’s a good idea. (Also: It’s not.) And: The Rehearsal is Nathan Fielder’s new HBO docu-comedy series. The show “explores the lengths one man will go to reduce the uncertainties of everyday life. With a construction crew, a legion of actors, and seemingly unlimited resources, Fielder allows ordinary people to prepare for life’s biggest moments by ‘rehearsing’ them in carefully crafted simulations of his own design.” And finally, a podcast-only segment on I Am Groot, Marvel’s new Disney+ series of shorts (each episode is three minutes long plus credits and logos) following the adventures of Baby Groot during the period between Guardians of the Galaxy and a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 mid-credits sequence. (I’m not making this up, I swear.) I’d explain why we’re doing this special segment, but the reason is very, very dumb. Some other stuff that happened this week, give or take: Olivia Newton-John, pop singer and ‘Grease’ star, dies at 73 The sugary-sweet performer with a string of No. 1 hits was also an advocate for cancer research Olivia Newton-John: That Headband Was a Crown When the singer smudged her classy image, she “unlocked something new that shot her to the top of pop’s Olympus,” our critic writes: “The vestal vamp.” David McCullough, Best-Selling Explorer of America’s Past, Dies at 89 His research — on Adams, Truman and so much more — was deep, his writing was lively, and his narrator’s voice in documentary films was familiar to millions. Gene LeBell Dies: Stuntman, Actor And Wrestling Legend Who Fought Bruce Lee & Chuck Norris Onscreen Was 89 Serena Williams Says Farewell to Tennis On Her Own Terms—And In Her Own Words Bill Russell’s No. 6 to be retired across NBA following legend’s death last month Why’d That Movie Disappear? Welcome to Streaming’s Memory Hole Era If ‘American Pickle’ doesn’t exist on HBO Max now, did it ever? Or: A new generation realizes that an endless stream of film titles can easily vanish into the online ether. The Great HBO Freak-out of 2022 Was Unwarranted, but Understandable In light of what happened at Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call, some of the rumors that flew ahead of the event look borderline histrionic—but consumers had good reason to fear for the worst Disney Now Has More Streaming Subscribers Than Netflix, But Makes Less Money From Them The End of Manual Transmission Stick shifts are dying. When they go, something bigger than driving will be lost. Taylor Swift files in Shake It Off copyright lawsuit: ‘The lyrics were written entirely by me’ Singer had been sued by writers of 3LW’s 2000 song Playas Gon’ Play for alleged plagiarism, and the case is due to return to court How Catholicism became a meme One of the world’s most powerful religions is now an alt status symbol. As Spider-Man turns 60, fans reflect on diverse appeal Tinder’s Fatphobia Problem Mike Judge’s Secret Art of Satire Judge has created some of the sharpest, most prophetic comedies of the past few decades. Now his first hit, “Beavis and Butt-Head,” is back on the air. Cat lovers can try cat-food inspired dishes at Fancy Feast’s Italian pop-up Reviews, reappraised — Simran Hans on the rise of the critic-influencers GUESTS: Sam Hadelman: Works in music public relations and hosts The Sam Hadelman Show at Radio Free Brooklyn Shawn Murray: A stand-up comedian, writer, and the host of the Nobody Asked Shawn podcast Irene Papoulis: Teaches writing at Trinity College The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you like to relax? Do you read a book? Go for a hike, maybe? How about grabbing dinner with friends? The list goes on, and we consider these activities leisure. This hour, we learn what leisure is and how to master it. We take a look at the importance of leisure for health, how the concept differs around the world, and what it means to value your free time. Finally, we examine what the future holds for leisure. In case you find some inspiration in this hour, here’s a list of leisure activities from our guests and The Colin McEnroe Show staff: Gardening. Finishing that old show you’ve been meaning to finish. Drawing yourself. Counting clouds. Staring at the wall. Laying down. Playing the closest instrument. Going bug collecting. Trying your hand at claymation. Trying to get the hiccups. Buying clay pigeons (biodegradable) and smashing them. Exploring the forest behind your home. Throwing rocks into the mysterious well you find in the forest. Summoning (accidentally) an eons-old forest spirit. Visiting a national park. GUESTS: Tom Hodgkinson: Founder of Idler magazine and the author a number of books, including How to Be Idle: A Loafer’s Manifesto and An Idler’s Manual Selin Malkoc: Behavioral scientist at the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University Ken Roberts: Professor of sociology, social policy, and criminology at The University of Liverpool Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her book Sandy Hook, Elizabeth Williamson investigates the conspiracy theories that arose following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, Connecticut. GUEST: Elizabeth Williamson: Author of Sandy Hook: An American Tragedy and the Battle for Truth The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show, which originally aired April 18, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food isn’t just a way to cure hunger. In food, we find identity, history, politics, and more. This hour, a look at the evolution of food and how our perception of different diets and lifestyles is changing. GUESTS: Anthony Jung: Executive chef of retail dining at UMass Amherst Cathy Kaufman: Lecturer of food studies at The New School and chairwoman of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery Dr. Uma Naidoo: Psychiatrist, professional chef, trained nutrition specialist, and the author of This Is Your Brain On Food The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Anya Grondalski, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been doing these shows a couple times a month where we don’t book any guests, where we fill the hour with your calls. And your calls have been interesting and surprising and amusing. This hour, the conversation winds around to the R&B trio AKNU, calling everybody “guys” indiscriminately, force-field analysis, the writing of the U.S. Constitution, and the Bloomfield aquifer project. There’s also a point in this show when Colin says, “No call is recherché,” which may be simultaneously the most and least public radio thing anyone’s ever said on our air. Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Nose is off this week. In its place this hour, a look at why, more than half a century after they first came walking down the street, we’re still bananas for The Monkees. GUESTS: Mark Rozzo: Contributing editor at Vanity Fair, where he published “The Most Influential Pop-Rock Band Ever? The Monkees!” Andrew Sandoval: Manager of The Monkees from 2011 to 2021 and host of the podcast Come to the Sunshine Rosanne Welch: Author of Why The Monkees Matter: Teenagers, Television and American Pop Culture Brian Williams: Former anchor of the NBC Nightly News The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 9, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stickiness. We know it when we see it — or when we feel it under our feet at the movie theater. But what is stickiness, scientifically speaking? How do geckos climb? Why don’t Post-it Notes ruin our books? This hour, we talk to scientist Laurie Winkless about her book, Sticky, and figure out what holds it all together. GUESTS: Laurie Winkless: A science writer and physicist and the author of Sticky: The Secret Science of the Surfaces Dr. Alyssa Stark: A professor at Villanova University; she runs a lab that studies biological adhesion Will Coldwell: A freelance writer; he published “Bursting the Bubble: How Gum Lost Its Cool” in The Economist The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Cat Pastor, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired February 17, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Think about it: When’s the last time you saw a brand-new instrument in a marching band? New instruments don’t come around too often — but it’s not for lack of trying. Getting a new sound off the ground involves design, production, music expertise, composition, and fans. It’s no easy task to invent the next best thing, but this hour we talk to inventors, composers, teachers, and the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition to learn about the future of sound. GUESTS: Jason Freeman: Professor of music at Georgia Tech and chair of the School of Music who leads the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition Kyle Grimm: Composer who specializes in both acoustic and electronic mediums and a professor of music at the University of Hartford Keith Groover: The inventor of The Glide as well as a musician and music educator Bosko Kante: Grammy-winning producer and the inventor of The ElectroSpit The Colin McEnroe Show is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode! Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, Catie Talarski, and Lily Tyson contributed to this show, which originally aired January 26, 2022.Support the show: http://www.wnpr.org/donateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.